BRINNON: Proposed resort in sensitive area divides town

Chuck and Betty Finnila dream of expanding their Pleasant Harbor Marina into a full-blown resort on the western shore of Hood Canal near the sleepy town of Brinnon.

Jefferson County zoning doesn't allow it, but county commissioners could clear the way this month by approving a Brinnon subarea plan.

The plan has split the Highway 101 community's 1,100 residents. Some, like the Finnilas, favor it because it would create business opportunities and jobs.

Others seek to preserve the area where three natural treasures - Hood Canal, the Dosewallips River and the Olympic Mountains - converge.

County commissioners Dan Titterness, Glen Huntingford and Richard Wojt will hear both sides during a public meeting 7 p.m. March 12 at the Brinnon School. They could vote on the plan anytime thereafter.

The county issued a determination of nonsignificance on Dec. 12, asserting that the subarea plan is not likely to have a significantly adverse impact on the environment.

The determination cleared the way for the project's approval without a new environmental impact study.

Previous studies already analyzed some or all of the potential impacts of the subarea plan when the comprehensive plan was adopted in 1998, reasoned Community Development Director Al Scalf.

The planning commission voted 5-2 in favor of the plan Jan. 16 and sent it to the county commission for its decision.

But the opposition group Better Brinnon Coalition appealed the determination of nonsignificance on Feb. 16. The hearing examiner will rule on the appeal next week. Appeals are rarely successful, conceded the group's leader, Mark Rose.

If county commissioners approve the subarea plan, the coalition will also appeal that decision to the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, Rose said.

"Brinnon is the most environmentally sensitive area in the county by far," Rose said. "It has been designated by the county as the least desirable place to develop, yet they're proposing to rezone 378 acres in a town that now has 34 acres of commercial zoning without an environmental study. We don't think that's right."

The 378 acres would be split among six zoning designations, most of which can be developed in some way. Much of it restores uses that were downzoned in the comprehensive plan.

Most of the land - some 305 acres - would be zoned master-planned resort. And that's where the Finnilas come in.

They have set their sights on creating a 260-acre resort that would include a 120-seat restaurant, 18-hole golf course, 290-room hotel, conference center, health club, tennis courts and kids' activities. Chuck Finnila estimates the cost at $50 million.

The couple has already spent more than $4 million on a marina upgrade. They invested more than five years and $400,000 on engineering and environmental studies.

The resort would employ 200, about one-tenth of the area's population, Finnila said.

"This could really be a boost for Brinnon and its economy," said Finnila, who bought the marina in 1994. "The single most inhibiting factor has been the zoning for the hotel, because the zoning needs to be completely changed in order to make this project happen."

The golf course, which is already designed, would replace a 500-unit recreational vehicle park Finnila owns. The hotel would be half the density but bring in more revenue for the county, he said.

Lots for 20 high-bank waterfront homes would lie between the golf course and Hood Canal.

Zoning already allows that, but the hotel is needed to attract the golfers, Finnila said.

Hotel developers have shown interest in the project, Finnila said.

He intends to file a subdivision proposal for the golf course and homes and a development agreement for the hotel in the next month or so. He expects approval to take nine months.

Most of Brinnon supports the project, Finnila believes.

"There is what is considered the vocal minority, but too many folks come through here on a daily basis wanting to know when we're going to be able to play golf and have the recreational amenities up there to use," he said. "I feel there is a substantial desire from our local residents to see this done."

Rose disagrees. Most residents oppose the plan, and dissent has been ignored, he said. Foes have been frozen out of the planning process, said Rose, who owns a marketing, Web development and e-commerce company.

"I don't believe it will benefit Brinnon or will be good for economic development, and it will destroy our rural character and environment," he said.

Opponents claim that Finnila and Realtor Linda Tudor have manipulated the plan for their own gain. Tudor, who owns Coldwell Banker Settlers Realty, wants to develop 19 acres she owns along Highway 101, Rose said.

"She's been trying for many years to move the whole town of Brinnon to her property," Rose said.

Downtown Brinnon has always been a mixed-use zone with homes, businesses, a school, fire station and motel, said Tudor, who headed the group that spent more than two years putting the plan together. The plan incorporates a logical area into a legal zone, she said.

* Resort features a golf course, inn, restaurant and more. The residents of Alderbrook, the 525-acre community located on Hood Canal, near Union, know the complex is for sale. They don't know who the buyer will be - or when the sale will take ... [Read More...]

Longtime hearing examiner Irv Berteig made a good call in putting the brakes on approval of the Brinnon subarea plan. The plan proposes 378 acres of mixed-use zoning in Brinnon and supports development of a 260-acre resort with restaurant, 18-hole golf course, 290-room hotel, ... [Read More...]

Third time's a charm for a plan to put more business in the tiny Hood Canal community of Brinnon and boost its economy, Jefferson County commissioners hope. After years of contention because of environmental concerns, a revised subarea plan for Brinnon has been ... [Read More...]

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